Veterinarian does more research on snow leopards

ZOOS

TOLEDO — For the second year in a row, a Toledo Zoo veterinarian has participated in landmark field research abroad with wild snow leopards.

Dr. Ric Berlinski, director of animal health and nutrition, recently traveled to Kyrgyzstan in central Asia to assist in conservation efforts for the notoriously elusive big cats.

“The more we understand about them, the more helpful we can be in conserving them,” he said. “They are a threatened species, and they are an apex predator in that part of the world.”

The endangered, solitary cats live at high altitude above the tree line on rocky outcroppings and cliffs. Their superb camouflage and secretive nature make them extremely difficult to find. Many locals have never seen one and refer to them as “mountain ghosts.”

Last year, Berlinski fitted a GPS tracking collar on a female leopard. This year, the team snared and collared two males in the SarychatErtash State Nature Reserve in the Tien Shan mountains during the trip Oct. 11 to Nov. 16 sponsored primarily by Panthera, an international conservation group dedicated to big cat species.

The group is actively tracking five snow leopards in the extremely remote region. About 35 other cats have been collared in areas near human settlements, which affects their behavior.

“It has shed a lot of light on their habits when they are in their natural environment without that human encroachment,” Berlinski said.

He noted researchers have learned the solitary cats’ large territories overlap much more than previously believed, and the predators tend to make frequent small kills as opposed to staying with larger kills for more extended periods.

Terry Webb, director of animal programs, said the zoo intends to continue working on the project with Panthera.

“We have all intentions of returning annually and tracking the population, individuals, and monitoring the status of the leopards in their range,” Webb said. “It’s one of our high- profile endangered species. It’s a great opportunity for us to tie in our mission and programs with the captive side to the wild side.”